LEFT WITH NO CHOICE: One day after general manager Sandy Alderson said Johan Santana was not ready to pitch when spring training began, the left-hander took the mound in a bullpen session yesterday to “prove” Mets brass wrong. (Anthony J. Causi)
PORT ST. LUCIE — It is good the Mets and Johan Santana are not mad at each other or else we may think they were, you know, mad at each other.
There was Sandy Alderson on Saturday telling us the organization wasn’t upset at Santana while explaining it was kind of expecting him to show up in shape to pitch — which the general manager pointedly noted the lefty didn’t.
And there was Santana yesterday channeling his inner Allen Iverson, emphasizing the “training” in spring training several times as a way to say when the practice — practice — is done he will be ready for the season.
Alderson was edgy, terse and a tad passive-aggressive in his media scrum. And Santana was petulant, annoyed and, yes, passive-aggressive, too, as he mainly revealed agitation by proclaiming why he would not be taking questions from reporters.
All in all, this was another Amway moment for the Mets. There was nothing technically wrong with how either party behaved — like there is nothing technically wrong with partnering with a company that has been accused of being a pyramid scheme. It just looks terrible when this organization is trying to regain credibility that it is trustworthy and knows what it is doing.
Here were the Mets claiming to have both monitored Santana this offseason — which Alderson said they did — and being shocked he did so little work he was not ready to pitch at the outset. Assistant GM John Ricco explained the Mets trust their veterans to know how to be ready for camp without micro-managing their offseasons.
But this is not any veteran. Santana has spent most of the last four years injured or rehabbing, plus he is owed $31 million this season between salary and a buyout. Short of a full-time Secret Service detail, the Mets should have been doing more to assure Santana was following a prescribed program — if there were a prescribed program.
Besides, what is the Mets’ beef? Is their contention someone they have spent five years describing as a model employee for his work ethic, competitiveness and passion to perform is suddenly the exact opposite? Does anyone think Santana wanted to make a dead-arm first impression in his walk year, when he will be trying to convince potential suitors he has plenty left?
Santana, 34 in nine days, simply is in a trial-and-error phase of his career. No longer able to roll out of bed and throw darts, he is figuring out if more or less is the proper protocol for preparation. He tried more last year and left part of his season in January, February and March. So he went with rest this time to revive his body, namely his arm.
The Mets say even Santana was surprised by the results, how little life there was when he threw early in camp. So he was backed off to build strength, mainly with a long-toss program. Three days ago, manager Terry Collins and pitching coach Dan Warthen concur, it was as if an energy source emerged and Santana found fuel and confidence again in his arm.
Yesterday Santana played catch at about 180 feet with Pedro Feliciano and had enough left on his final peg to fire a ball from the left-field line off the orange homer demarcation above the wall just to the left of the 410 sign in center. Santana followed with 15 bullpen pitches and a continuation of his pre-workout boycott of reporters.
Like a conspiracy theorist, he chided to go speak to “sources” about what was going on with him. Knowing reporters were waiting, Santana went into a few hours of four corners with a workout, a massage and some ice before again making a few pronouncements he will be ready for the season while refusing to respond to questions.
Again — like the Mets and Amway — that is his prerogative. There is technically nothing wrong with not answering. It just looks terrible. Santana needs to be a leader on this team and, thus, turning a medium-sized story into something bigger by showing his fury without explanation was a misstep.
In the end, like almost all stories — big and small — this will blow over and there is even a strong case to be made Santana’s longevity this season will be benefit from his preparation. Again, he is re-learning just how to nurture and preserve this version of his arm.
Still, at a time when the Mets want to rebuild not just a roster, but credibility, they suffered another Amway moment.